A Tomb for the Haunted

There are just a few Mexican bands daring to explore such levels of professional work in the last two decades, not only the musical aspects but on the whole release, one of them is Agony Lords. What sensation does this album generate on me? It is like a nightmare maybe because in the title there’s some feelings of tombs and stories about it, I don't have the lyrics but because of the song titles something is inviting me to suppose some weird things, so along with the music we are about to expect an horror travel through the music.

The musical side of A Tomb for the Haunted is a little complex to detail; it is basically death metal with the constant progressive sensation, there's not any brutal sounds or any other blasting elements. My perception since the first listening was about a fine metal genre and I must describe it as death metal by the basic form mainly, I had the necessity to listen about three times the CD and noticed or confirmed something: the Mexican metal is growing bigger at least in the last 15 years, so now is written and the death metal status in my mind is a little bit clear. Going back to Agony Lords release I have to say that is one of the best albums I've listened to in the last few years.

So, why this is too good? All the progressive elements along with the creative aspects makes it something easy to enjoy and you hear all you need since very first time and I was able to catch the main elements that in my opinion are the riffs with special tones, the solos are just great on every song, so solos and riffs create those kind of never ending songs you want to hear; this album features just emotive songs where each one is different and this let you with a different sensation. For me the solos are the main part of every song, they are well done and always offering the emotional fact. The power on every track keeps the same emotional level; I'm insisting on emotions when albums like this achieve them. The aggressive side also is good, I mean there's no need of brutal sounds to make it better, it is just powerful by nature, no more to say on that aspect. Agony Lords has an original song writing style and that is hard considering every track lasts an average of five minutes, only professional bands reach such goal.

I don't like to review track by track even though this album deserves it, I prefer to highlight those that I enjoyed the most and my selections are as follows: Raising the Occult, Dead Eyes, The Spirit in the Tower, Emily and A Tomb for the Haunted. Those songs are the best in my opinion because they keep the exceptional level of the album. May some people accept this album as I do? I hope so, Agony Lords has just reached their higher effort. The guitars are just professional, there are two great guitar players on the line up, drums and bass players also contribute to give a better sound which is evidently enjoyable. The aggressive voice of the singer telling the stories is a plus.

My only feeling of the music decreasing was just in the middle of the album, when the song Witches Board started, I thought the album was divided in two parts and that just happened in a couple of songs then I listened some slow parts reloading my feelings.

Agony Lords has just released a great album, (a conceptual one certainly) and A Tomb for the Haunted is one of the most professional albums recorded in Mexico on both aspects: music and production. It is original with great sound and recording quality; I really was expecting something like this in the last years, now it is done. Metal from the grave, start digging!